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Original poster

To wonder why other people's homes don't have huge washing piles?

277 replies

Fairynufff · 24/07/2009 10:41

Do you remember the pictures in Ruplestiltskin of the rooms filled with straw? Well my house looks like that - but with washing instead of straw. I feel like it's a full time job just managing it, and I don't even iron!

No one else I know seems to have the same problem. They all have lives, spend time with their kids and have full time jobs? What do they do with it all? What secret to they know that I don't?

OP posts:
bronze · 27/07/2009 10:57

I don't iron

I do have piles. Piles of clean clothes to be sorted and put away and piles of dirty to be washed.

Actually I'm slightly more organised than that. It's all in the folding crates and the dirty stuff is even divided into loads ready to be put in.

I get behind when it rains and it's done nothing but rain recently

tryingtobemarypoppins · 27/07/2009 11:07

But doesn't it look wrinkled bronze??

GossipMonger · 27/07/2009 11:08

177 messages on washing!

Can you tell today is a rainy day!!

bronze · 27/07/2009 11:37

not really dh does his own work shirts. I dry things flat, often on a hanger but the kids stuff I just make sure its pegged so it hangs right. Two minutes of them wearing it and they'll make a mess of it anyway so whats the point

bronze · 27/07/2009 11:39

I don't have as many as Juule or mini but the four I do have are age 6 or under with a pukey baby and a potty training toddler in that mix so I set my priorities. They will be trained to iron their on school shirts when the time comes

BonsoirAnna · 27/07/2009 11:47

GetorfMoiLand - you never use a hoover? - I am fascinated...

GetOrfMoiLand · 27/07/2009 11:51

We don't have any carpet - it's all parquet flooring or tiles.

So I sweep it all up like a Victorian parlourmaid and use one of those swiffer spray things once a week to pick up the dirt. I mop the house through once a month or so.

I have actually got a Dyson but I hate the bloody huge heavy thing so it is only ever used to hoover the cars out.

GetOrfMoiLand · 27/07/2009 11:52

Do have to sweep up every day though, house gets very dusty for some reason.

expatinscotland · 27/07/2009 11:54

it's been raining a lot and this house has bad damp so i've been making liberal use of the dryer.

we'll probably be moving to another flat with no outdoor space or a caravan with only a small patio so i'll likely be using the dryer full-time again.

that's my secret to keep from being overrun with laundry and ironing.

BonsoirAnna · 27/07/2009 11:55

Me neither, no carpet - I have parquet everywhere except for the bathrooms, loos, kitchen and laundry room where there are white tiles.

I changed my old Miele for a Dyson about a year ago, and the Dyson is much better at sucking the dust up (in particular from between the floorboards - the parquet is 80 years old and has shrunk quite a bit, leaving large gaps where stuff disappears!

expatinscotland · 27/07/2009 11:59

can't wait to get shot of filthy carpets. words can't describe how much i hate carpets. they are beyond vile.

GetOrfMoiLand · 27/07/2009 12:08

Luckily my parquet has no gaps, otherwise I prob would have to hoover it. DP and DD hoover up anyway, they think my use of a broom and sweeper is archaic beyond belief.

I just loathe hoovers. Mine is so big and heavy. I don't think it works particularly well. I'm always tripping over the bloody thing, or the attachments hurl themselves at my head whenever I go into the garage.

Agree about the carpet hatred - this is the first house I have ever lived in which has no carpet at all, and it is absolute bliss. The amount of crappy places I have lived which had carpet in the bathroom, fgs!

BonsoirAnna · 27/07/2009 12:13

I did find that, when I first got the Dyson, there were a couple of weeks where it seemed to be sucking up all the dust from the nooks and crannies that the old Miele didn't reach! And since then I have generally found that our apartment is less dusty than before (not that is was very dusty).

nickschick · 27/07/2009 12:56

OMG!! this thread is still going??

I have already done 3 loads of washing today!!

I have to hoover at least twice a day as well and I cant believe that some of you never iron ......I iron everything.

Expat do you mean you might move into a mobile home?- that will take stringent organisation,where will you store all your stuff??

My friend was living in a mobile home whilst her architect dh built their new eco home and everytime she moaned about lack of space he would simply add another 'room' to their mobile home - their dd was delighted to come home one day to find a new bedroom!! although he spent so much time building new rooms in their temporary home that it held up building of the new home.

My house is very small so I have to keep on top or it soon resembles chaos.....

bronze · 27/07/2009 13:02

vacuum twice a day?

where do you find the time?

I've done 3 loads already too and have anothe couple waiting

melmog · 27/07/2009 13:22

Omg. How on earth (and why?) do you hoover at least twice a day??? Your house can't be that dirty can it? I manage once a week tops. Sometimes a fortnight!

I do sweep the floors every other dayish too.

GetOrfMoiLand · 27/07/2009 13:37

I once lived in a house with ridiculous cream carpets in every room.

Yes, sometimes I hoovered twice a day as well. They looked unbelievably filthy after a matter of hours.

BonsoirAnna · 27/07/2009 13:49
nickschick · 27/07/2009 13:53

I have a dog and 3 sons plus a messy dh and fil who visits most days - it doeant take long- I dont do upstairs twice a day.

georgiemum · 27/07/2009 13:57

They hide it when you go around. I know I do (have been known to take it to another house!)

bronze · 27/07/2009 14:05

I can't imagine Anna with dirty floors. Or scrubbing them for that matter

notsoteenagemum · 27/07/2009 14:06

Fairynuff I would like to thankyou for starting this thread.
It shamed me into tackling the mountain on Saturday, there is now nothing that needs ironing in this house and I am now in the process of devising a system, I also got rid of three bags of unused clothes and bedding.

Now if someone could start a thread on 'paper mountain in kitchen cupboards and sideboard' I would be most greatful

BonsoirAnna · 27/07/2009 14:18

Oh well you are very wrong there bronze: I have three weeks of summer "holiday" with DD and no DSSs and I need to spring clean and sort during that time, as it is literally the ONLY time in the year when I have the opportunity and availability to go right through the apartment and sort out everything. We are just too busy the rest of the time!

BonsoirAnna · 27/07/2009 14:20

On the paper mountain

We went to Ikea on Saturday, I bought loads of those rather nice wooden box files (the sort that are open on one side) and they are now sitting in a row on my dining table, gradually being filled with the paperwork I want to keep.

I had a huge blitz of the paper on my desk and in my paperwork cupboard yesterday, but still haven't tackled the dreaded basket in the kitchen (too busy cleaning floors today!).

crokky · 27/07/2009 14:24

Fairynufff - here's what I do in my house - I never have washing lying about. I have a DH and 2 little DC.

Washing machine itself - when it needs replacing, get a decent one that can do useful stuff - mine has a 15 minute super quick wash - very good for a small load you need quickly.

Tumble dryer - essential - if you haven't got one, get one!

Iron - waste of life - keep it in a cupboard to be brought out only when absolutely necessary

Clothes - each person only to own clothes that fit them and that they currently wear. Get rid (charity shop) anything that does not fit these rules. Children shouldn't have too many clothes - if you have too many, they'll get all over the place and in a mess. I usually do 10 bottoms, 10 tops sort of things for my DCs (they are 3 and 1). You and DH can own more clothes if you can keep them tidy! Otherwise, not!

Then - washing - I wash most days. Everything is put immediately into the tumble drier - as soon as the washing machine bleeps. Take directly from tumble dryer and put away in drawers/wardrobes immediately.

I don't buy clothes (or sheets or whatever) that aren't machine washable and tumble dryable. Total waste of time IMO.

I am a bit extreme